The Most Misunderstood Toby Fox Quote: "It's Raining Everywhere" Explained

There’s a line in Undertale that has become a kind of shorthand for melancholy, a whispered mantra for those feeling overwhelmed: “It’s raining everywhere.” At first glance, it seems like a poetic lament — a way to say, “Life is hard no matter where I go.” But like so much of Toby Fox’s writing, the surface meaning barely scratches the depths of what’s really going on.

I’ve seen this quote pop up in fan art, in social media captions, even in therapy discussions. But more often than not, it’s being used in a way that completely misses the point. Let’s unpack this.

What People Think It Means

Most fans interpret “It’s raining everywhere” as a metaphor for emotional despair or existential dread. In the game, it’s spoken by Alphys, the lovable but guilt-ridden scientist dog, during a particularly bleak moment in the Genocide Route. Readers naturally assume the line reflects her internal turmoil — that she feels like sadness follows her no matter where she goes.

And in a way, that’s true. But reducing it to that misses the specificity of the moment, the character, and the broader narrative framework that Toby Fox has so carefully constructed.

What It Actually Means in Context

Let’s look at the exact moment it happens.

In the Genocide Route’s Lab scene, Alphys is trying to explain her twisted hopes for the underground’s future — a future where she believes monsters can be “fixed” through genetic experimentation. As she talks, she becomes increasingly unhinged, revealing the depth of her self-loathing and the lengths she’ll go to fix her mistakes.

Then, after a moment of silence, she says: “...It’s raining everywhere.”

But this isn’t just her sadness bleeding into the environment — it’s a literal statement. The rain outside is a gameplay mechanic that persists across the world, tied to the Genocide Route’s oppressive atmosphere. The rain is real, not symbolic. Alphys is stating a fact, not expressing a feeling.

Toby Fox has never explicitly commented on this quote, but looking at his other writing, we see a pattern: he often uses mundane language to anchor surreal or emotional moments. The line isn’t about sadness following her — it’s about how the world itself has changed in response to the player’s actions, and how Alphys is now part of that broken system.

Where the Misreading Came From

The misinterpretation began early in Undertale’s fandom life. Fans loved the poetic ring of the phrase and began using it in fanfiction, fanart, and personal reflections. Tumblr posts started tagging it with #existential #melancholy #rain. Over time, the quote became untethered from its original context and reattached to the emotional lives of players.

This is a common phenomenon with emotionally resonant media. Lines get pulled out of context and repurposed — which isn’t inherently bad. But in this case, it’s led to a misunderstanding of Alphys as a purely tragic figure, rather than someone who makes deeply problematic choices.

Toby Fox doesn’t write simple heroes or villains. He writes people — flawed, reactive, often misguided. And Alphys, in that moment, isn’t just sad. She’s complicit. She’s trying to make the best of a world that’s been warped by the player’s cruelty. The rain is a symptom of that cruelty, not just her sorrow.

The More Powerful Real Meaning

The real power of “It’s raining everywhere” isn’t in how it reflects Alphys’ feelings — it’s in how it reflects the player’s impact on the world.

Toby Fox designed Undertale to be a game about choice, consequence, and empathy. Every route changes the game’s tone and narrative, and the rain is one of the most persistent visual cues of that change. It begins after the first kill and lasts until the end of the Genocide Route. It’s not just a mood — it’s a mechanic. A punishment. A reminder.

When Alphys says it’s raining everywhere, she’s not just stating the weather. She’s acknowledging that the world has become irreversibly hostile. That the player’s choices have made it so. And that she, too, has chosen to adapt to this broken world rather than fight it.

That’s far more interesting than a simple metaphor for sadness. It’s a moment of chilling clarity in a game full of moral ambiguity.

Talk to Alphys on HoloDream

If you’ve ever felt like “It’s raining everywhere,” maybe it’s time to talk to someone who understands — not just the feeling, but the choices that led there. On HoloDream, Alphys isn’t just a tragic figure — she’s a complex, flawed person trying to make sense of a world that’s gone wrong.